“But it is both a relief and a disappointment that the new [job] numbers offer some assurance that the long-reliable pattern of adding a bit more than two million jobs a year continues apace. The 175,000 net jobs added in February extrapolate to a pace of 2.1 million jobs a year…. The jobs recovery in the United States is astonishingly consistent, astonishingly resilient and astonishingly underwhelming.”

From “Tea Party Ain’t Over Yet: How Conservatives Still Control Congress,” TalkingPointsMemo:

“The tea party has taken a series of hits since it goaded Republican leaders into a costly and self-defeating government shutdown last fall. But the conservative movement remains formidable when it comes to pushing Republican leaders to just say no, at all costs, to new economic and domestic initiatives that aren’t essential to avert immediate crisis.

“The emerging dynamic is one where the tea party can no longer hold the basic functions of government hostage to conservative policy reforms, but has effective veto power over major new proposals that require bipartisan deal-making.

“Even on initiatives that are broadly popular, as in the case of emergency unemploymentcompensation and raising the minimumwage, conservatives have successfully blocked any movement forward.

“An initiative that Republican strategists say is imperative to stave off electoral extinction — immigrationreform — isn’t going anywhere. Recently, Speaker John Boehner took a significant step toward action by releasing a pro-reform blueprint. But within one week, after a fierce backlash from tea party organizations…he hit the brakes and signaled that the House wouldn’t take up reform.” Emphasis added.

A minority of the minority is controlling this country, is keeping it from moving forward economically and socially. It really doesn’t matter at all that Obama beat Mitt, that Dems have a majority in the Senate (because you need 60), and that Dem House candidates got over a million more votes than GOP candidates. What the hell did we win exactly?

“I believe it’s immoral for this country to have as a policy extending long-term unemployment to people rather than us working on creation of jobs.”

Congressman Pete Sessions (R-Texas)

Um, Pete, this isn’t a case of “rather than” — you can, and should, do both. Because while you’re “working on” creating those jobs, people need to eat and pay their rent.

But the thing is, the GOP has shown nointerestwhatsoever in creating jobs because that might make the anti-Christ Obama look good and help the demon Dems in 2014. Your party is interested only in making the economy as stalled and sluggish as possible, which means making as many American families as possible suffer.

A three-month extension of unemployment benefits for 1.7 million of us failed today in the Senate by justonevote. They had 59 votes, which is of course a majority, but because of the filibuster you need 60.

These four Republicans voted in favor: Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, Susan Collins of Maine, Dean Heller of Nevada, and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.